Press release - Mindfulness as harm reduction for people who use stimulants

Mindfulness is a good harm reduction intervention for people who use stimulants, such as cocaine or amphetamines. Approaches promoting self-control can be used to improve their quality of life. This is one of the recommendations in a new, comprehensive report by Mainline, the Dutch organisation for international harm reduction.

Amsterdam 6 September 2018 - Stimulant use can be symptomatic for deeper psychosocial, economical or cultural issues like marginalisation, homelessness, isolation, joblessness, poverty and violence. Some mental health issues are specific to people who use stimulants. Sleep deprivation resulting from prolonged or intensive use can lead to problems such as paranoia, hallucinations and anxiety. Furthermore, the report states that while harm reduction interventions specifically for women who use drugs are important and effective, these interventions should also include men when children are involved.

The study conducted by Mainline, is the first global review into effective harm reduction interventions for stimulant users. So far, most Harm Reduction services focus predominantly on people who inject opioids. Little evidence exists on harm reduction for people who use stimulants. More research on this topic is necessary, as the health of people who use stimulants and their surroundings is at stake.

The full report is now exclusively available on the Mainline website. Here you can also find the executive summary. Other relevant resources are available on our website as well.

This study was supported by the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), a project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Here you can read the full report and the executive summary: Giz report